Ethan stared at him briefly, then noticed the others.
Every one of them shared the same exhaustion .. breathing heavily, clear proof they had survived a night of hell.
"You’re safe here. The bonfire suppresses both the curse and the monsters... nothing can harm you here."
Hearing this, Ethan pressed his lips together.
He knew what a bonfire was, of course.
But what occupied his mind now was something else.
"I’m sorry... you all went through that because of me," Ethan said sincerely, drawing everyone’s attention.
"I underestimated the curse and what it could do. I never imagined it would be this bad."
"Yeah... it’s a curse straight out of hell," Raiden replied with a strained smile.
Even while trying to comfort him, he couldn’t lie.
Ethan’s curse had nearly killed them all — and they were still only in the first region, without even facing the main boss yet.
Yet Raiden never blamed him.
"We suffered... but we all survived. That’s what matters."
He lightly patted Ethan’s back.
"Don’t carry all the blame yourself. We chose to stay with you .. that was our decision. Don’t forget that."
Those words surprised Ethan.
Strangely enough, the other Hearts agreed .. even the timid Alicia.
They truly... did not betray or abandon their companions, no matter what.
It made Ethan wonder .. could people like this really exist in a world so dark and cursed?
Lowering his head, he didn’t know how to respond.
So he only nodded hesitantly.
’Human relationships... are strange.’
What he was experiencing now was entirely new to him .. a solitary young man who had never formed real bonds.
All he’d ever had were eccentric viewers behind screens.
And the people he’d encountered in his previous life... had all exploited him to the very end.
The Hearts’ warmth felt foreign — as though he didn’t belong among them.
Yet despite everything... they stayed.
They could have left his body and fled .. he was the one attracting the curse .. but they didn’t. They risked their lives for him.
That was a debt.
And Ethan resolved to repay it.
To them, however, it wasn’t complicated at all .. saving a friend was simply natural.
After a brief silence, Moon spoke for the first time since he awoke.
"Now that we’re safe, and you’ve regained consciousness... it’s time we explained the situation."
Raiden nodded.
"Moon’s right. If you want to survive in the cursed lands — and in this world in general — you need at least the minimum knowledge."
Ethan nodded in return.
’Some lore won’t hurt... and I have plenty of questions anyway’ , he thought, gesturing for Moon to continue.
Most of what she would say was likely familiar .. he had played the game to the point of obsession.
But...
There were still unknowns that needed answers.
Especially when it concerned the Hearts themselves... and that strange blood curse his body now bore.
Moon was the serious type .. she didn’t speak idly and always went straight to what mattered most, giving her the air of a natural leader.
That disposition was reinforced by exceptional talent, making her the most outstanding of her generation.
First, Moon pointed toward the flaming sword embedded in the ground.
"This is the bonfire. It is our safe haven .. the refuge of us Hearts."
"Here, we can rest without fear of monster attacks, and our bodies are cleansed of lingering traces of the curse when we sit near it."
The sword planted into the earth carried extraordinary power... strong enough to suppress a curse that had defied all creatures.
"Our ancestors left the bonfires behind .. by plunging their swords into the soil, sealing within them their ashes... and the fire of their lives."
"There are many bonfires scattered throughout this region, stretching deep into the Cursed Lands. They guide us along the path our ancestors once took when they fought the curse in ages long past."
The ancestors of the Hearts... in other words, the heroes before Ethan.
They had been powerful .. they reached Advanced stages... yet all of them died.
At the very least, they left behind their path and their legacy, so the next generation could follow in their footsteps against the curse.
The bonfire’s power could purify corruption .. even wounds and injuries making it indispensable to the Hearts.
"With time... many bonfires have gone out because of the curse. But we can rekindle them using our ashes .. provided we defeat the Boss of the region they belong to."
Moon placed her hand over the bonfire, and the flames surged brighter.
"All bonfires are connected to our homeland, where the Lord Vessel resides. Because of that, we can teleport directly home through them, sparing us much hardship."
It was an intriguing concept.
When Ethan played the game, he thought bonfires were merely save points... yet they carried an entire history.
Moon then lifted her gaze toward the sky.
"But we cannot use teleportation while night prevails. So we have no choice but to remain here until dawn."
Ethan nodded in understanding.
But he noticed something important.
’Her information... incomplete. Or should I say inaccurate?’
From the way she spoke, she believed the Hearts alone could use the bonfires .. that they belonged exclusively to them.
That was wrong... born from ignorance of how vast this world truly was.
The ancestors she spoke of — the ancient heroes...
They didn’t leave the Hearts alone... Ethan thought silently.
There were no clans identical to the Hearts .. yet there were certainly others who carried the heroes’ lineage.
People capable of using the Player System as well.
The Proof... was Ethan himself when he was playing the game .
He began the game in a completely different region of the world and was never a Heart.
Yet he found the bonfires .. and used them.
Naturally, he told them none of this.
"I want to know more about our clan... the Hearts," Ethan said, steering the conversation.
Raiden answered.
"We Hearts belong to the lands of a kingdom called Ardyn. It lies within the continent of Midgard. We stand at the very center of the world .. our borders collide directly with the land where the curse emerged."
With his finger, he drew lines in the dirt to illustrate.
Ethan followed the rough map and gained a preliminary sense of his location.
"The continent of Midgard is divided into four rival kingdoms. Ardyn lies in the southeast. Above us is the Old Kingdom of Magnolia .. allies."
"To the west we border the Kingdom of Astria — enemies. They exploit their distance from the Cursed Lands and constantly attempt to plunder Ardyn."
"Above them lies the New Kingdom of Magnolia. It and Old Magnolia were once a single nation, but split after a coup. Naturally, they are our enemies since we stand with their sworn rivals."
Raiden sketched the continent’s rough shape, the borders, and the Cursed Lands.
"We are here."
He pointed to the Hearts’ homeland.
Ethan’s expression darkened slightly.
"We’re on the edge of the curse..."
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say they were the first defensive wall against it.
Raiden nodded.
"Our land was placed here by order of the ruling family — the House of Ardyn. Our duty is to repel the curse and the hordes of monsters that come from it."
Raiden paused, and young Chai Heart continued instead:
"That’s life for everyone here. We are warriors tasked with fighting the curse... we are called Hunters."
"Hunters?"
"Yes," Alicia said .. clearly disliking the word.
"Talented Hearts are forced to become Hunters through brutal training."
Suddenly, Alicia exploded.
"I never wanted to be a Hunter!! They forced me!! Damn them all!"